The invention relates to a system for the selective enablement of machine features and more particularly, to the selective enablement of machine features from a remote station over a common communication channel.
A significant consideration in the use of an imaging machine is that some features of the machine may not be appropriate to every location or machine environment. In addition operator experience and the mix of job requirements may or may not preclude the use of selected machine features. Yet, it is impractical to tailor a machine configuration specifically for each distinct machine location. As a result, a machine generally is designed or embedded with a multitude of features that may or may not be applicable at certain locations. For example, features such as Document Editing, Set Addressing, Poster Enlargement, Irregular Enlargement, Auto Center, Mirror Image, Freehand editing, Merge Image, User Registered Colors, Bi-directional image shift, Book Copying or even Expanded Finishing capability may not always be required by the customer. For customer relations, it is preferable, to charge a customer only for features that are applicable to the specific customer requirements. Yet, the machine often already possesses these features or such features may be requested at a later date.
To overcome the above identified difficulties, it would be desirable to provide a more flexible and adaptable machine, in particular, a more flexible and adaptable machine that selectively provides features commensurate with specific locations and customer requirements.
It is known in the prior art, for example, D/91198, U.S. Ser. No. 07/812,341 for screen dialogues related to features embedded in a machine to be selectively installed in the machine from a a portable memory device to enable the features for operator use. An operator loads the portable memory device into the machine for reading by the machine control and a special dialog frame on the interface screen is displayed prompting the operator to confirm the installation of selected screen dialogues. The selected screen dialogues are automatically set in the control NVM to establish the selected screen dialog within the machine. It is also known to be able to enable various software packages in a machine control by making appropriate entries in non volatile memory.
The difficulty with the prior art, however, is the required intervention of an operator or service representative to load and install the feature and to make the appropriate changes in the non volatile memory to reconfigure the machine. This also requires handling a portable memory and decisions and actions at the machine site that may be incorrect or inappropriate for the specific location. In addition, if the machine does not already contain a given software feature, the feature must be first preloaded into the machine control before it can be enabled or made available to the operator. This usually requires the service of a tech rep and further complicates configuring a machine. It would be desirable, therefore, to eliminate a costly call by a service representative or the reliance on a machine operator to enable or dis-enable selected machine functions, let alone to retro fit the feature into the machine for the first time.
Other prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 4,658,093 to Hellman disclosing a software distribution system wherein software can be authorized for use solely by a particular base unit and for only a specific number of times. A manufacture of base units and software generates a random key and stores it in a base unit which is sold to a user. When wishing to use a certain software package, the user's base unit generates a random number and communicates it to the manufacturer of the software. The software manufacturer generates an authenticator which is a cryptographic function of the base unit's key, the software, the number of times use of the software is authorized, and the random number generated by the base unit. The user's base unit then uses the same cryptographic function to generate a check value of the key, the software, the number of times use is authorized, and the random number which the base unit generated. If the check value and the authenticator agree, the base unit accepts the authenticator as valid and increments the number of times of use for which the software is authorized.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,888,798 to Earnest discloses a method and apparatus that permits identical copies of encrypted computer software (including a number of software elements) to be distributed to many users while retaining central control over which elements are authorized for use by each user.*
U.S. Pat. No. 4,999,806 to Chernow et al. discloses a software distribution system wherein a central station distributes software by telephone. After receiving a request for purchasing software from a purchaser, the central station transmits a Control Transfer Program and Initialization Program to the purchaser computer, and the purchaser executes the Initialization Program to turn over control of the purchaser computer to the central station. Subsequently, the Control Transfer Program is executed to transfer first a Protection Program for ensuring that no memory resident copying programs are running, and then a Storing Program is executed for modifying the purchased program for storage at the purchaser computer. Finally, the purchased program is transmitted to the purchaser computer and stored there. During the Transaction, the various transmitted programs are erased, so that at the end of the transaction only a copy protected version of the purchased program remains on the purchasers disk. These systems, however, do not teach the selective enablement of machine features from a remote central station or the selective downloading and enablement of features from a remote station.
It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a new and improved technique to simply and quickly adapt the features of a machine to the requirements of a predetermined location without operator or service representative on site presence. It is still another object of the present invention to selectively change the features of a machine by remote designation or feature downloading from a central control station over a common communication channel. Other advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds, and the features characterizing the invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.